California

Agribusinesses in California face a number of challenges in the policy arena. Taxes on income and sales are some of the highest in the country. Infrastructure quality ranks very low, as do eighth grade proficiency scores. California has more ballot initiatives than any state in the country, which presents greater challenges to agribusinesses to educate the public about the policies being debated. Wages tend to be higher than average for welders and mechanics. Liability laws tend to not be favorable toward agribusinesses. There are a few positives, such labor availability, worker’s compensation costs and the absence of state estate taxes.